Posted on 08/26/2018 6:48:08 AM PDT by cotton1706
FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. (AP) -- It was five days before ballots will be counted in his bid for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, and former Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio had no idea what he was doing.
The final days of a campaign are usually frantic, with candidates' every moment scheduled to ensure they meet as many voters as possible. But Arpaio had nothing planned Thursday until a 4:30 p.m. meeting.
"I ought to go to a Mexican restaurant and see how they treat me," Arpaio, 86, said as he sat in his strip mall office. So he and his aides piled into the newly-rented campaign bus in the latest stage of what is likely to be the controversial lawman's long goodbye.
Arpaio served six terms as sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. He won national acclaim and condemnation for his hardline policies. He jailed inmates in tents in the desert heat. He directed deputies to hunt people in the country illegally, a practice a court found to be racial profiling. He lost his 2016 re-election bid after being convicted of contempt of court for continuing that profiling. He was pardoned by President Trump last year.
Now he's disappointed some supporters with his erratic GOP Senate primary bid in which he lags badly in polls behind U.S. Rep. Martha McSally and former state Sen. Kelli Ward. Arpaio's legacy, they fear, will be splitting the conservative vote Tuesday, letting McSally, the favorite of establishment Republicans with whom Arpaio has long feuded, win the nomination.
"It is a kamikaze mission," said Constantine Querard, a political strategist and former Arpaio supporter who supports Ward. "The only question is, is it malpractice, or is the candidate in on it?"
(Excerpt) Read more at lowellsun.com ...
For whatever reason Arpaio is in on it. He knows he is making a McSally victory inevitable. Maybe he thinks Ward can’t win the general. Whatever his thinking, it is intentional.
It is obvious that Arpaio entered the race to be a spoiler against Kelly Ward.
I suspect the McConnell team put him up to it. Despicable, predictable, and likely, effective.
“letting McSally, the favorite of establishment Republicans with whom Arpaio has long feuded win.”
So Joe splits the vote handing her the win. WTH?
This is the RINO that Arpaio will help elect to the US senate, he was
Undoubtedly paid off by tbe establishment. I used to have a lot of respect for him. No more.
And theyll all go back to hating Joe in 3 days once hes served his purpose. No fool like an old fool.
Yep. Same here. Young fools are insufferable. Old fools are despicable.
President Trump could have put him up to it as well. He probably knows that his base prefers Ward to McSally and also knows that Ward has been a staunch supporter but believes Ward might be more of a risk in the general election. After Alabama, Trump can't afford to lose a Senate seat.
McSally is a safe choice. She'll support his agenda items and the same voters who sent McCain to the Senate repeatedly will ensure she gets to DC to do this.
Notice Trump has not offered his endorsement, --yet.
I expect there will be a Monday night tweet endorsing McSally, much to Ward's disappointment.
I wish I could be sure of that. McSally looks to be a combination of McCain and Flake in a skirt.
It will be interesting. I do not think Trump will endorse anyone until after the primary vote.
Honestly at this point I’m not sure Kelli Ward could win either. She’s been running forever. I like her but we need a win.
nobody likes a busybody. you need to fix Massachusetts before you start telling folks in AL, MS, and AZ how to vote.
you do this crap all the time.
I agree. I’ve listened to McSally and she’s ok. Lou Dobbs gave her a hard time one night I was watching. It was pretty she’s more a Ryan representative than a freedom caucus supporter in the house, but we can’t appoint judges if we don’t have the senate.
Governor Ducey should appoint Ward and clear McSally’s path to victory. Win-Win approach for all concerned.
McCain’s seat will have an interim appointment, but when will they have to actually vote on it? With Sessions it was about a year, wasn’t it?
I’m betting on Megan McCain being her dad’s replacement. That’s why Abby Huntsman went to The View. They don’t need 2 conservatives on the view. Just my speculation, but that’s where I’d put my money. That would put Ward against McCain in the special election. Assuming Ward loses this primary.
I’ve read here that the person appointed by the Governor will finish out McCain’s Term which ends in 2020.
If the AZ Governor is just another squishy RINO we’ll get what we get, a younger version of McCain.
I have the highest respect for Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and I will always refer to him as Sheriff Joe. If anyone has earned the integrity of Law and Order, and the Title of Sheriff.... it’s Sheriff Joe.
All of Maricopa County owes Sheriff Joe a tremendous debt of Gratitude in return for saving Maricopa County from becoming nothing short of a Tijuana Bus Stop back when the flood of Illegals and Drugs was nothing short of a tsunami of human debris from South of the Border. If not for people like Sheriff Joe Maricopa County would have been destroyed with Crime and Corruption and the Liberal wrecking ball that has ruined most major cities in the USA.
If anyone has made a positive impact on the quality of life in Arizona, - Sheriff Joe should be at the top of the list.
Thank You Sheriff Joe Arpaio for your dedication and loyalty towards enforcing the Laws of the land. We could use more Sheriffs like Sheriff Joe Arpaio!
Oh goody, another Political Family Dynasty. Eyeroll...
See #16. I think it will be Megan McCain
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